The symbols and artifacts of Halloween have transformed and evolved over time. For example, jack-o’-lanterns carvings springing from Samhain custom where they have been carving turnips to make lanterns was their way to connect with the souls staying in purgatory. The turnips have been used in Scotland and Ireland as their part of the tradition at the Halloween, but the North American immigrants used native pumpkins which were larger in size and were much softer – which made it easier for the people to carve them compared to the turnips. As a result of mass marketing campaigns for the pumpkins before the Halloween in Autumn has made pumpkins a symbol and tradition across the world, and are readily and widely available to serve the purpose.

The history of carving pumpkins in dates back to 1837 in the United States of America. This originally has been associated with the usual harvest time and not being specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.

The Halloween imagery comes from varied sources which also include native cultures and customs. Works of horror and Gothic to literature to horror movies and novels like Dracula and Frankenstein and movie like The Mummy have originated from similar factors. The earliest of the works is done by Scottish poet John Mayne in 1978.

The autumn season elements like pumpkins, corn husks and scarecrows are also found abundantly in Halloween celebrations and are used for decorations at homes. The common Halloween imagery includes themes of mythical monsters, after life, evil and the occult. Colors like Black and Orange are traditional Halloween colors used in costumes which are associated with pumpkins and black magic.